Portable unit building



. Jan.

S. L. LEWIS PORTABLE UNIT BUILDI NG Filed Feb.

' 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 *5 $1 vS-l. lea/21's,

\ INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 6 1925- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Slim/is,

IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 6, 1 5- 1,521,635 s. L. LEWIS I PORTABLE UNIT BUILDING Filed Feb.7, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Q El a M Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

SAJMIUIEJZ. L. LEWIS, OF WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA.

PORTABLE UNIT BUILDING.

Application filed February 7, 1924. Serial No. 691,266.

To all whom it may comem: I

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. LEWIS, a.

a lurality of compartments formed in the.

building adapted to have the relative size of the compartments increasedwhile the building is in use.

An object of the invention resides in providing a portable unit buildingstructure having a main building section of substantially elongatedform, of a size to adapt it to transpor ation from one point to anotherin which are mounted a plurality of exten sible sections adapted to behoused in the main building structure during transportation, and in suchhoused position cooperating with the main building to form a pluralityof compartments within the same, having communication with one another,rendering the buildings useful in this relation and the sections beingextensible to increase the size of the compartment to provide increasedhousing capacity when the buildin is set up for use at a desired point.Anot er object of the invention resides in providing a three-pointsuspension for each of the extensible sections, adapting the sectionsfor ready extension and support from the main building.

A further object of the invention resides in providing means cooperatingwith the supporting structure for the sections and mounted in the mainbuilding structure for extending the sections from and returning them tothe housed relation relative to the main building structure.

Other objects and improvements in the details of construction andassemblage of the parts are more particularly pointed out in thefollowing description and claim referring to the preferred form of theinvention, it being understood. however, that variations may be madefrom this structure within the scope of the claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved portable unit building,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure1, showing one of the extensible sections in extended relation, andanother similar section in substantially housed relation.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view-through the unitbuilding.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the mainbuilding structures and one of the extensible sections showing therelationship therebetween, and the operating means for the extensiblesections.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of the operating means for theextensible section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlar ed detail sectional view of the operating meansshown in Figure 5 taken at right angles thereto, said view also showingthe three art suspension for the extensible section.

Figure 7 is a detail view of one of the supporting rollers. v I

Figure 8 is a detail view of the operating means used in the extensionor retraction of one of the extensible sections.

1 indicates the main building structure which is of elongatedrectangular form, having sides 2, ends 3, a roof generally indicated at4, and a bottom or floor section 5.

The section 5 forms the main supporting structure for the building unitand includes longitudinal sills 6 running lengthwise under the sides ofthe main building structure, which are connected by a plurality ofspaced beams or joists 7 to the upper edges of which the floor,indicated by the numeral 8 is secured. The sides and ends are mounted onthe floor sections 5 and are provided with a plurality of windows 9having half sashes and being constructed in any suitab a manner wellknown in the art, the windows in the side portions being positionedadjacent the ends of the side portions which are formed throughout thecentral portions with enlarged openings 10 for receiving a pair ofextensible building sections 11, having side walls 12, and outer endwalls 13,

said side and end walls being provided with Rollers 19 are mounted inthe inner ends of the beams 16 adjacent the end member 18 and are adated to ride on the floor 8 of the main building structure for providinga point of support for the extensible section. A pair of channel bars 20are secured to the bar member 15 adjacent the opposite ends thereof andextend through openings 21 the sill 6 and under the floor 8. Rollers 22are mounted below the opening 21 on the outer sides of the sill 6 andare adapted to support and provide a bearing for' the channel bars 20intermediate their ends, while the inner ends of the channel bars arepositioned over brackets 23 mounted on the under face of the floor 8which carries rollers 24, which engage the inner ends of the channelbars to provide a second point of support for the channel bars and athird point of support for each of the extensible sections. The innerbottom portion of the channel bar is provided with a plurality ofopenings 25- for cooperation with the pinion gear 26 mounted on theshaft 27, extending longitudinally of the building and rotatably mountedin the cross beams 7, there being one of these shafts for cooperationwith the channel bars of each extensible section. The shafts 27 extendto one end of the buildin as shown, Where they are provided wit ratchets28 with which cooperate the pawls 29 carried by the operating handles 30and having spring pressed means 31 for operating the double pawls 29 forcooperation with the ratchet to rotate it in either direction. Theoperating handle 30 is adapted to extend upwardly through a coveredopening 32, so that the sections are extensible and retractible throughoperation of the shaft 27 from the interior of the building.

It will be noted that the rollers 19, 22, and

24, provide a three point support for the,

extensible sections in order that they may be movable, andat the sametime rigidly supported in the main building structure, the innerbrackets 23 forming guide brackets for the channel bars to preventlateral movement thereof in cooperation with the brackets carriedin therollers 22 so that clined downwardl the extensible sections are alwaysguided in and out in a desirable manner.

Each of the extensible sections 11 is provided with a roof section 33which is intoward the outer end and provided wit an upstanding projection 34 for directing the moisture from the roof of the section onto thecorner ortion, the roof in cross section being of arc form, as indicatedin Figure 1, so that the moisture will readily drain to the sides of thesections. At the inner open ends of each section, a limiting flange 35is provided along the upper or roof portion as well as at the sideportion for engagement with the side 2 of the building around theopening 10 therein in order to limit the outward movement of eachsection when being extended to prevent disengagement of the sectionsfrom the main building.

Each of the extensible sections 11 is provided across the outer endthereof with a convertible bed 36, adapted to form a lounge or seat foruse as indicated in Figure 4, and the end portion of each of theextensible sections 11 is provided with a artition wall 37 at the endofthe-converti le bed 36 to provide a closet or storage space forclothes or other goods, which is provided with a door 38 for closing thecloset.

One end of the building beyond the extensible sections and adjacentthereto is rovided with a partition wall 39 having a cor 40 in thecentral portion thereof, the compartment 41 formed in the forward endthereof by said partition being provided at one side of the door 40 witha wardrobe 42 having a door 43 communicating with-the interior thereofhinged in the partition 39, access being provided to the wardrobe onlywhen the extensible section 11 at this side of the building is inextended relation.

The compartment 41 adjacent the wardrobe 42 is divided by a partition 44having the hinged door 45, into a toilet compartment 46, the remainderof the compartment 41 being adapted for use as a kitchen, the stovebeing indicated at 46 with a shelf at 47. The outer end of the mainbuilding provides a compartment 48 which, when the extensible sectionsare in their outer or extended positions will cooperate to form a largecompartment, and when said sections are'in their inner or housedositions within the main building, the si es of the sections willpartition the com artment 48 from the compartment formed y the extensionsections and merely leave a passageway providing communications betweenthe sec tions, so that three small compartments are formed in the mainbuilding when the extensible sections are in housed relation. A door49is provided in the front end of the building to form an exit whichopens onto a porch 50 rovided as an extensionfrom the end of t e floorsection 5 which has the corner posts 51 connecting it with the end ofthe roof section 4 projecting over the porch, and steps 52, the side'portions of which are hingedly connected with the porch 50 so that thesteps maybe moved around the pivots and onto the porch'when the buildingis being transported from one place to the other. 7

From the above descri tion, it will be seen that a portable buildlngstructure has been provided of such a character that it is easilytransported from place to place on a flat car or in any other suitablemanner, and during transportation may be used, as the partme'nts, andwhich may be set up at any desired point on suitable supports which arenot shown, above the ground, and the extensible parts moved to theiroutward position to rovide a maximum housing space. It wil also be notedthat the extensible sections in having a three point support in the mainbuilding structure do not require the provision of any additionalsupporting structure for the sections while in extended position andthat o eration of the handle 30' will quickly an extension of thesections.

What is claimed is:

A portable unit building including a main building of elongatedrectangular form having enlarged central openings in the side wallsthereof, a pair of extensible. I sections 'movable in the centralopenings of readily effect a withdrawal or section carried by a pair ofspaced rollers.

mounted in the floor section of the main building for guiding andmovably supporting said bar and sections, said sections also beingprovided with rollers along the inner lower edge cooperating with thesupporting rollers for the channel bars to provide a.

three point support for each section, and operating means cooperatingwith the channel bars and mounted in the main building for movingsaidsections into extended or housed relation with respect to the mainbuilding structure. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SAMUEL L. LEW'IS,

